The McDonald's Stroopwafel McFlurry Rumors Are True [Updated]
Update, May 8, 2019: Sometimes the universe throws you a bone in the form of a fast-food shake. Today, that bone is the Stroopwafel McFlurry, which McDonald's announced will hit U.S. menus June 5 along with three other "worldwide favorites" from McDonald's international menus. As rumored last month, those three other dishes include the Grand McExtreme Bacon Burger, Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich, and Cheesy Bacon Fries. Hola, hallo, and g'day to the new dishes, which will appear at participating U.S. restaurants for a limited time.
Original story, April 23, 2019: It's been almost a year since United quietly removed in-flight stroopwafels, the last true joy in airline travel—not on my watch, assholes!—but then brought it back following public outcry. I will not stop singing the praises of stroopwafel, and I'm thrilled to say McDonald's has given me a new reason to do so. The crisp, buttery European cookies may be coming to American McDonald's in June as part of a new lineup of international items.
Business Insider obtained internal McDonald's documents—some Watergate-level reporting, here—that show the Stroopwafel McFlurry will join other global items on the "Worldwide Favorites" menu, including Grand McExtreme Bacon Burger (Spain), tomato-mozzarella chicken sandwich (Canade), and cheesy bacon fries (Australia). McDonald's Chicago flagship already serves international menu items, to varying degrees of success. But recent news from McDonald's has been all about removing items—RIP Signature Crafted Burgers—and cutting options on the late-night menu. Now it could be adding new foods? Bit of a puzzle. When we asked a McDonald's representative about the veracity of the rumors, the company responded: "No tenemos comentario" (no comment).
But I have the utmost confidence in the rumored Stroopwafel McFlurry, which is to me the pack's clear leader in terms of deliciousness potential. The cookies sandwich a layer of filling, typically caramel, between two thin, waferlike waffle halves that shatter pleasingly upon biting. If McDonald's can preserve the cookies' signature crunch and harness its gooey caramel filling, I see no stopping its fast-food dessert dominance.
Oh, the other leaked international menu items? Yeah, I guess we can analyze those, too. The Grand McExtreme Bacon Burger is fantastically named, and reportedly features McBacon sauce, bacon, gouda, and slivered onions. I think America is ready for fast-food gouda. This is fine. Next up: a tomato-mozzarella chicken sandwich, consisting of grilled or crispy chicken breast, red onions, lettuce, tomato, mozzarella and a tomato-herb sauce on a Brioche-style bun. Oh hell yes to a good Brioche bun. As for the loaded fries, well, we tried them and would rather not rehash the experience.
I'll be first in line should a Stroopwafel McFlurry appear, and am cautiously optimistic about the potential chicken sandwich and bacon burger. Like a mathematically challenged Meatloaf impersonator might have said, three out of four ain't bad.